Apparatus for the liquid-fuel firing of steam boilers



W. M.. BURDON.

APPARATUS FOR THE LIQUID FUEL FIRING 0F STEAM BOILERS.

"APPLICATION FILED APR- 7, 1920.

Patented July 18, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET I W. M. BURDON.

APPARATUS FOR THE LIQUID FUEL FIRING 0F STEAM BOILERS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.7, I920.

Patented July 18, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

- STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM MURRAY BURDON, OF BELLSHILL, SCOTLAND, ASSIGNOR TO BURDONS LIMITED, OF BELLSHILL, SCOTLAND.

APPARATUS FOR THE LIQUID-FUEL FIRING OF STEAM BOILERS.

aaaisa Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 18, 1922.

Application filed April 7, 1920. Serial No. 372,004.

(GRANTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1921,.41 STAT. L, 1313.)

'To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LVVILLIAM MURRAY BUR- DON, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Bellshill, Lanarkshire, Scotland, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Apparatus for the Liquid-Fuel F iring of Steam Boilers (for which I have filed applications in England March 29, 1919; in

France June 6, 1919; in Belgium June 18,

1919, and in Holland June 12, 1919), of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in the liquid fuel firing. of steam boilers wherein the boiler furnace is made or constructed with an air heating chamber arranged above the combustion chamber, and wherein the liquid fuel is directed into the combustion chamber in conjunction with air which is heated in the heating chamber.

Under this invention a portion of the hot gases generated in the combustion chamber is allowed to pass upwards into the heating chamber (above the combustion chamber) in order to heat pipes or passages located therein and through which the air supply for the burner is passed.

In the case of a Lancashire, Galloway,

marine boiler, or the like, the furnace is built with a bottom lining of fire brick and a low arched crown having openings ,thereln through which hot gases from the combustion chambercan pass upwards to an air heating chamber or space above the crown. The crown does not extend the full length of the furnace but only over'the front portion thereof, which constitutes the com bustion chamber, and, at its inner end, it is lowered and forms an arch. The bottom lining extends" beyond the crown and, at its end, is a c goss wall or a battle which is preferably built of fire brick with passages above, below 6r all around, for the hot gases to pass to the flue which may have one or more similar bafilestherein.

The liquid fuel is or may be supplied, under control of an indicator valve from a tank, or elsewhere, by means of 'apipe to an inclined nozzle which projects into a tubular open ended carburettor which latter is located within a burner nozzlefitted into an opening in brick-Work or an 1ronconcentrically within the nozzle with an annular space between it and the nozzle and heated air, at low pressure, is supplied by piping from a fan or blower the air passing both inside and outside of the carburettor and blanketing the liquid fuel. The air is caused to gyrate by means of spiral blades, or other devices, arranged within the air pipe and may also be agitated by means of a small rotary fan. It is of great importance that the oil be acted upon by air which is heated considerably above the temperature necessary for vaporization, and, in order to heat the air sufliciently, the air supply pipe is.conducted to the 'hot chamber above the crown of the furnace and is looped or bent therein in such manner as to cause the air to travel forwards and, backwards in the chamber. The air is preferably supplied to the air pipe from an air main aranged above, or be-' low, the boiler as may be found most advantageous and is suitably controlled by means of dampers or otherwise.

Preferably each furnace has two burners with their air supply pipes each arranged to pass forwards and backwards through the hot chamber in order to heat the air.

The gyrating highly heated air acts upon the liquid fueland not only atomizes but vaporizes or gasifies it and the gasified fuel issues from the burner between the inner and outer streams of air and burns with most effective results in the interior of the furna ce.

The invention is generally applicable to the furnaces of both land and marineboilersfront end of the boiler and its furnace.

Fig. 2 is a partial front view and partial vertical croQs section the cross section being taken on the line a}, m, Fig. 1;

vOn the drawings a is the boiler, b, b. the furnaces thereof,

c the air main, and d the airsupply pipes to the two furnaces.

As will be seen each furnace is provided with a bottom "lining of fire brick e and with 60 I tively small a low arched crown-f having a series of openings 9 therein through which hot gases can pass upwards into the heating chamber or space it at top. The front of the furnace is closed by fire brick z' with the exception of a kindling hole j and the burner passages ]c. w is the combustion chamber; At the inner end of the crown is a lowered arch portion 7. At the back of the furnace is a bafile or cross wall Z having/ openings m for the passage of the hot gases to the fine. 3 are brick projections serving to retard and break up the gases. c,

As will be seen, the air su' ply for veach burner passes from a pipe d t rough a bent pipe at located in the heating chamber h and thence to the burner" (one of which is shown in section at Fig. 1) and, as will be seen, in

theburner '0 is a fixed spiral p around whichthe air can pass and, in its passage, be caused to gyrate. At the end of the spiral is anagitating fan 9 automatically revolved by the air. 1' is the liquid fuel nozzle to which fuel is supplied from the pipe 8 provided with an indicator Cock 8 Located within the burner p is a carburettor 6 consisting of a-small openended tube or cylinder held concentrically in position within the burner and arranged, as shown, so that the air can pass both inside and outside of the carburettor and, in doing so, blanket the liquid fuel introduced into the carburettor by the inclined nozzle 1'. u are dampers forregulating the air supply to the burners.

The pipe connections and arrangements for each burner are similar so that a description of the action of one will sufiice for all. J

In the arrangement shown the li uid fuel supplied by a pipe 8 and'nozzle 1' ows, by gravity into the carburettor t where it is acted upon by the air supplied under comparatively low pressure from a fan .or blower to the main 0 and the air, owing to its passage through the bent ipe n located in the heating chamber h, isighly heated and acts upon the liquid fuel as it flows from the'nozzle 'r and atomizes and vaporize's the same the gyratory action of the air and the agitation thereof by the fan 9 bein important in this connection. The liquid fuel and air issues from the interior of the carburettor t as a jet or stream whilst hot air from theannular space between the carburettor and the burner blankets or envelopes the same andthe jet, thus envelo ed, enters the combustion chamber w wliere combustion takes place the main volume of hot gases passing, under the archf, direct ly towards the outlets m whilst a comparaportion passes upwards through the passages g to the heating chamber h and heats the air pipes n.

The baffle l and other baflles, if they are employed,,serve to retain the highly heated gases as long as possible in contact with the wall of the furnace.

Of course the construction may be varied more or less to suit different types of boiler. 'hat I have shown is suitable for a Lancashire boiler and similar arrangements may be adopted for Galloway and Scotch marine boilers, but the structure would require to be altered for Babcock & \Vilcox and other water tube boilers whilst, of course,'maintaining the same principle of heating the air for the burners by a portion of the gases from the combustion chamber of the furnace and by having bafiies for retarding the flow of the hot gases and retaining them within the furnace and furnace flue as long as possible.

This arrangement can be applied, if desired, to other types of heating furnaces a well as to boiler furnaces. I

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is I 1. A steam boiler furnace adapted to be fired by liquid fuel having two chambers therein a heating chamber and a combustion chamber, a wall separating "the chambers and having openings therethrough, a device for I I delivering liquid fuel in admixture with air into the combustion chamber, a main air supply pipe, and branch pipes passing into the heating chamber and then to the device.

'2. A steam boiler furnace adapted to be supply pipe, and branch pipes passing into and bent within the heating'chamber and then assing to the device.

3. i steam boiler furnace adapted to be Y "fired by liquid fuel having two chambers therein a heating chamber and a combustion chamber, a wall separating the chambers and having openings therethrough, a device for delivering liquid fuel in admixture with air into the combustion chamber, a main air supply pipe, branch pipes passing into the ,heating chamber and then to the device, and

valves for controlling the air supply through said branch pipes. I 4c. steam boiler furnace adapted to be fired by liquid ,fuel having two chambers therein a heating chamber and a combustion chamber, a lowarched crown separating the chambers, means whereby hot products of combustion from the combustion chamberenter and heat up the heating chamber, a burner'for delivering liquid fuel in admixture with air into the combustion chamber and means whereby the air for the burner is heated in the heating chamber.

5. A steam boiler furnace adapted to be l fired by liquid fuel having two chambers therein a heating chamber and a combustion chamber, a low arched crown separatingthe chambers, means whereby hot products of 5 combustion from the combustion chamber enter and heat up the heating chamber,- a burner for delivering liquid fuel in admixture with air into the combustion chamber, means whereby the air for the burner is 10 heated in the heating chamber, a bottom lining of fire brick extending beyond the arched crown, projections extending inwardly from the lining, and a cross wall at the back of the lining with openings at intervals therein.

In testimon whereof I afiix my signature. in presence 0 two witnesses.

WILLIAM MURRAY BURDON.

Witnesses WM. B. VERITY, I HELEN A; FAIRFOWL. 

